Phonograph.



1;. ROGERS.

PHONOGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED MAYIS. 1915.

Patented 001;. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

SY w E. ROGERS.

PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19. 1915.

Patented Oct. 23,1917.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

" UNITED STATES, PATENT. OFFICE.

EDWARD noenns, or ROSIE-DALE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'ro A.

. COUB'ILAND, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

rnonoe'nun.

-Patent'ed Oct. as, 1917..

Application filed m 19, 1515. Serial m. 29,109.

To all whom may concern:

A Be it known that I, EDWARD ROGERS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Rosedale, borough of Queens,.and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonographs, of

which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to phonographs and has for its primary object to provide an improved construction, combination and arrangement of parts in an. instrument ofthis character whereby a plurality of disk records can be played thereon in succession without the intervention of an operator.

' One of the objects of. the present invention is to provide improved means which will automatically remove a record from the turn table of the phonograph as soon as such record has been completed and replace it with the next. record, in order.

ary object of the invention is to provide record holders of improved construction.-

, which are adapted to automatically start the reproducing needle at the beginning of the records and control thef removal of 'said records from the' turntable. Other and further objects, including certain features of "construction will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred 'emb0di 'ment of my invention and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a phonograph constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same:

Fig. 3 is a side elevation at right angles to Fig, .2, parts being removed and parts shown in section,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the record holders i 4 Fig. .5 is a detail section on the line V,-V,

mounted to swing up and down about all 'ger and its lower endpivotally connected to A subsidiknuckle joint of a pair of toggle levers 26. The lower toggle lever is mounted on a fixed pivot 27 fragmentary detail in eleva is a fragmentary detail on an en-' axis at its larger end and to be oscillated about a vertical axiswhich intersects the first mentioned axis. As shown best in Fig. 5, a disk-like plate 4, which surmounts a vertically reoiprocable plunger 5, engages the sound arm or tube 3 and is adapted to impart the up and down movement to said tube by a connecting rod 6 which has its upper end pivotally connected to said pluna cam lever 7 which is oscillated about a pivot 8 by a cam 9- mounted on the drive shaft 10. 7 is a cam roller mounted on the end of lever 7 and adapted'to engage cam 9. The drive shaft 10 carries a gearll which. meshes with a pinion 12 on the spindle 13 ofa motor 14. The speed ofmotor 14' is such that shaft 10 makes one revolution in approximately eight seconds-thereby giving the several cam controlled parts ample time to sequentially move into and; out of position without interference. A sound-box 15' is mounted on the outer end of sound arm- 3 and carriesa conductor 16 which is adapted to complete an energizing circuit (to be hereinafter pointed out) for a magnet 17 (see Fig. 6). Magnet 17 together with a spring 18 suspended from an adjustable screw 19,. serves to oscillate a stop bar 20 about its axis 21. When the magnet is de- 5 energized, said stop bar is acted on by spring 18 to engage the shoulder 22 ofa camf23 which is provided with-a cam slot 24 within which runs a cam roller 25 carried by the while the other lever is pivotally connected at 28 to a brake bar 29 which is reciprocably mounted in a standard 30.

This brake bar is suitably disposed to engage the table 1 Whenever the cam roller 25 follows into the inner, run of the cam slot 24 subsequently to the cam ,23 being released by ven'ergization of the magnet 17. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a post 31 projects upwardly from the base board 32*. Projecting inwardly from the post 31 is a pointed rod 32 which carries a plurality of record holders 33. As shown in 4, the preferred form of record. holder comprises a shell or housing 33 with a beveled periphery and a central tubular post 34 which fits the rotary post 35 atthe center of the record carrying table 1. After a record has been placed in the holder 33, an annulus 36'is placed over the hollow post 34 and rests upon said reeord. As shown best in Fig. 1, a radialvarm 37 carries at its outer end an arcuate contact- 38- which may be adjusted to correspond with the innermost record groove on that particular record. One pole of the magnet 17 is electrically connected with the annulus 36, preferably by a wire 39 and post 35.

The other pole of said magnet may be electrically connected to the tone arm 3 through the metallic parts of the machine or by a wire' 40. It will be seen, therefore, that whenever the inward movement of the sound arm 3 brings the conductor 16 into engagement with the contact 38, the energizing circuit'of magnet 17 will be completed and the drive 10 released for a single revolution.- This single revolution of the drive shaft 10' effects a series of operations, during which the turn table is stopped, the played record removed, another record installed, and the turn table started again, the sound arm 3 being swung out and in at the proper times and the needle started gently on each record. Referring now'to Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft 10 has mounted thereon at opposite ends, the

cams 41. In the faces of eachof these cams is a groove 42 which operates a cam roller 43 on the segmental gear 43. Each of said segments 43 swings about a pivot 44 "and meshes with a segmental pinion 45 which is keyed to a, shaft 46 journaled in suitable standards 47. Sleeves 48 are reciprocable on s'haft'46 but held against turning thereon by pins 49-which extend through longitudinal slots 50 in the sleeves 48. In the opposite side walls of each of the cams 41, are the cam grooves 51 and 52 which respectively control the swingin movements of levers 53 and 54 (see Fig. 3% about the fixed pivots 55 and 56. The. free ends of these levers are pivotally connected to bars 53 and 54 which bars are in turn pivotally connected to levers 59. As shown in Fig. 3, a guide rod 57 slidably supports the hub portions 58 of a pair of lever arms 59. Said arms project into the rooves 60 in sleeves 48 on opposite sides of the shaft 46. Carried by the sleeves 48 are the arcuate arms 61 which as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 conform to the peripheries of the record holders 33 and in lowered position are disposed aslight distance above the upper surface of the turn table 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a

flanged cam 62 mounted on shaft 10 carries a cam bar 63 which is attached to the body of the cam, extends away from one flange 1 bar is adapted to engage a projection or cam pin 64 carried by the sound arm 3 to swing it into position so that the needle carrled by the sound box 15 w1ll engage a curved guide 65 which traverses the surface of the record naaaeeo and is adjustable about a pivot 66 on the periphery of each of the record holders 33 and is directed to the outermost groove in the record contained in each holder. The free end of the guide 65 is placed directly above .the outermost groove of the record so that when the tone arm is swung over the record and given its first drop the needle will engage the guide 65 and be carried directly to the outermost groove after which the tone arm will be again dropped and the needle rest in said outermost groove. Also carried by the cam 62 is'a cam bar 67 which is adapted to swing the sound ar1n'3 outwardly after a record has been played. This is accomplished in the following manner: When the cam bar 63 moves the cam pin 64 on tone arm 3 across the face of cam 62, the tone arm will be moved over the record and into position to have the needle engage the guide 65 and direct said needle to the outermost record groove. The tone arm will, as the record grooves control it, move toward the center of the record thereby causing cam pin 64 to move to the opposite side of oamw62, so that when shaft 101is released cam 62 will rotatecausing c am arm 67, see 7 Fig. 2, to engage cam pin 64 and swing tone arm 3 off the record .at the same time restoring campin 64 to the position shown in Fig. 1. post 68 mounted oppositely to the post'- 31, carries an inwardly extending spur 69 which receives the record holders as they are taken from the turn table by the arcuate grippers 61 on that side ofthe machine. Obviously, the record holders will be moved along the spur 69 by the one byone addition to the holders carried thereby. The spur 32, however, is provided with a sleeve 70 (see Fig. 2) which slides on said spur to force the record holder 33 which is nearest to the turn table, into position to be gripped by the grippers. For this purpose, a. bar 71 depends therefrom and has secured thereto a ratchet bar 72 which is fed inwardly by a pawl 73 pivotally mounted on a lever arm 74 carried by shaft 46. It will be seen, therefore, that each movement of the shaft 46 accomplishes the removal of one record holder from spur 32 and a displacement of 115 the remaining record holders a corresponding amount toward the turn table. An in wardly projecting bar 7 5 carried by the bar 71, is provided on one side with a cam 75' which as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 7 is adapted 12m to engage the stop bar 76 and move said stop bar into and out of the path of pin 7 7 carried by the cam 62 on shaft 10. As shown in Fig. 1 the cam 75 is preferably an enlargement on one side of bar 75 and is 125 adapted to be projected through an opening 79 when said bar- 71 is moved forward a suificient distance to place the last record holder in position to be removed by the grippers from the spur 32. The cam 7 5' engages 13v the wall ofthe opening79 and moves the stopbar 76. into position to engage the stop pin 77. 78 is a standard which reci rocally top bar supports bar 76 and cam bar 75. 76, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is also controlled manuall by means of a lever 80 which is pivotal y mounted on a fixed block 81 and pivotally connected at 82 with the bar 6. As shown in Fig- 8., the spur 32 is provlded w th a recess within which is disposed a spring 32' to impart a slight resistance to a record holder being removed from the spur 32. Fig. 1 shows (the machine with shaft 10 mpper ation, just after a record holder has been placed on the turn table and the grippers freed and about to rise. The several other figures of the drawings show positions 4 and thereby raise the grippers 61.

corresponding to Fig. 1. Assuming the parts to be in the positon shownin Fig. 1, it will be noticed that the-grippers which deposit the receptacle on the tur'Iitable, have been opened by the side cam groove in cam62, see Fig. 3, and 'cam'groove 42 is will have reached the first step and allowed the tone arm to drop far e ough to have the needle catch against the side of guide 65 and direct said needle to the outermost groove. Continued rotation ofshaft 10 allows-roller 7 to gradually ride down to the second step on cam 9 and place the needle 7 in the outermost groove of thejrecord. During these operations grippers 61 have been liftedby cam 41to vertical position-where they close onan'other receptacle, which has I been, moved to proper position on spur 32 I by means hereinbefore-described. After the engage above operations have occurredshoulder 22 on cam 23 will abut the st%20 and arrest fie rotation of shaft 10. enshaft 10 is rested by stop 20 the record is placed after whichshaft 10 is released whereupon cam 23 will apply the brake, cam 9 will lift thetone arm and c'ambar. 67 on cam 62. will cam pin 64 and swing the tone arm back off the record; When the tone arm is almost free from the record cam 41; on the rightside Fig.

--open them afid seize the-rece tacle and re- 1, will'lower grippers 61,

move it from the tablebut be ore it is up cam- .41, on the left of Fig.1, willstart to lower a receptacle and after placmg same .on, the table. will immediately openthereby 1 completing a cycle of operation.

The operation of the mechanism will now be readily understood and briefly related is asfollows: The records which it is desired to play in series, are placed in their respeog tive holders, the contact 38 on each holder 70 being adjusted so that the conductor 16 on' p the sound arm will reachit at the same time that the needle will reach the innermost grooveof that record. The curved guide bar 65 is also adjusted so that when the nee- 7 5 dlestrikes it near its pivot 66, said needle will be shifted to the outermost groove of the record. The record holders are then placed on the spur 32. It will be understood that the record holders will hold any size 3 records so that after the machine is once started, no further adjustment is necessary. Hand lever is now drawn outward to release the pin 77 (see Fig. 7) which-permits the shaft 10 to revolve until-lockbar 20 intercepts the shoulder 22 and again interrupts its movement.-- As the shaft 10 rotates, cam 63 engages the projection 64 carried by the sound arm 3 and swings said sound.

arm around until the needle is engaged by guide 65 which leads-it to the outermost groove in the record. In the meantime cam 9 has operated cam lever 7 to lower the sound arm 3, saidcam beingfisuitably formed to make this movement su teredthe' inner run of the cam groove 24 I and caused the release of the brake bar 29.

Before the roller 25 has time to again reach I the outer run of cam groove 24 which would apply the brake, shoulder 22 isterceptedbylock'bar '20 and the playingo the record A is completed without interruption. When the conductor 16 engages the contact 38,

the electric circuit hereinbefore pointed out energizes magnet 17 and causes lock bar 20 to again release the. .diskf23. Immediately the tone arm is raised and starts to swing clear of the tablethe brake 29 is applied by roller 25 entering the outer rim of cam "groove,24. The application of the brake at the time the tone arm starts to swing clear of the table,

move the same. Cam grooves 51 and 52 nOW draw the levers 53 and 54 (on' the. right hand ofFigj 1) toward the shaft 10, thus causing the clampingarms {which have. 12W

been .previously lowered) to engage the rec- .ord holder and lift iton to the spur 69.' The continued movement of shaft 10 -occa-. f 'sions the lowering of the next record-holder from the other sideafter which the tone "arms 161 ,onthe' left are.

raised to get a new record-holder, the rack bar is fed inwardly aglven amount to 131) ciently gradual 95 to avoid injury to the record. Prior to this however, the roller 25 (see Fig. 6) has enis necessary in order to have the. v table at rest when-the receptacle hitting arms 61 takevhold of the-receptacle'to rearm is again automatically swung into position'and lowered to play the next record.

" As the gripping properly locate the record-holder 33 to be gripped bysaid gripping arms. By the repeated displacements of the bar 75 which par-takes of themovements of rack bar- 72, the lock bar is eventually moved into position to terminate the movement of the shaft 10. By an inspection of Fig. it will be notedthat the downward movement of the J sound arm takes place in two stages the latter stage being very gradual, an the several cams being properly timed to have the final gradual drop occur at about the time the needlereaches the innerend of guide 65 on each record holder.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, ob-

- viously various modifications maybe made riod, and means forremoving'the record holder from horizontal position on the table to vertical position on suitable supports.

. 2. A holder for graphophone records adapted to be placed on the table or movable supportvof a graphophone, said holder being provided with adjustable means for automatically locating the needle of a graph ophone at the starting point of a; record Within said holder; I c

3. A holder for graphophone records pro- .vided with means for centering records, means adjustable to correspond to the size of a record to be placed in said holder, for guiding the needle to the first groove, and means carried by said holder, and adapted to be adjusted in position to be engaged by a member carried by the sound arm of the graphophone at the conclusionofa record.

4. A holder for graphophone records adapted to receive records of diflerent sizes and to locate them properly on the niovable support of a graphophone and a guide adjustably mounted adjacent the periphery of said holder for guiding aneedle to the starting p'oint of a record contained therein.

.5. A holder for graphophone "records adapted to receiverecords of different sizes and to locate them. properly on'the movable support ofa'graphophonaa guide adjustably mounted adjacent the periphery of said holder for guiding a needle to the starting point of a record contained therein, and a 'gaged by the sound arm of a contact adjustably mounted adjacent the center of said holder and adaptedgto' be. en-

hjfrh n near the end of; said record. I,

or table,

aeaeeo 6. The combination with the rotary snp- I port or table of a graphophone, of a movable sound arm carrying a needle, a record holder, adapted to be moved into and out of position on said rotary support or table, and

to properly locate records of various sizes thereon, means carried by said record holder for directing the needle to the starting groove of a record in said holder, and means for controlling the operation of said graphophone including a member carried by said record holder to be engaged by said sound arm at the finishing groove of said record.

7. A holder for graphophone records comprising a shell or housingprovided with a oentral hollow post adapted to fit the spin-, dle of a graphophone and to center records,

a needle guide adjustably mounted on the periphery of said holder, and a contactadjustably mounted on said hollow post.

8. The combination ofja sound reproducing machine provided with a sound arm, a

record holder therefor provided with a guide adjacent its periphery and a contact adjacent its center, means automatically operated by said machine for moving said sound-arm to engage saidguide, and means controlled by said sound arm for removing said sound arm from playing position.

9. In a graphophone, a record carrying table, a sound arm movable into, and out of position over said table, a record holder pro vided with a guide for said sound arm, means for moving said sound arm into engagement with said ghide, a contact carried by said record holder, and means subject to the control of said sound arm and contact for controlling the operation of the' graphophone.

10. In a graphophone, a rotary support or table, record holders adapted to be mounted thereon, each of said holders being provided with a sound arm guide and a-contact, means for alternately installing and removing said holders, a sound arm movable into and out of operative relation to said support or table, and means for moving said sound arm to said guidegand away from said contact, said holdersinstalling' and removing means and said sound armcontrol of moving means being under the said sound arm and contact.

@ 11. In a graphophone, a rotary support or table,-record holders, each provided with a contact, a supportforsaid holders, records in said holders, means for moving said holders from said support to said rotary support or table, means for removing said holders from said rotary support or table, a

sound arm movable across said rotary supportor table, and meanscontrolled by said sound armin conjunction with said contact for operating said holders-moving means. 12. In a graphophone, a rotary support record holders each provided with an adjus able sound-arm guide, and an adjustable contact, a sound arm movable into and out of operating relation to records in said holders, means for moving said records in series onto and oil of said support 'or table,- a magnet for controlling the said movement of the sound arm, and an enerygizing circuit for said magnet including said sound arm and contact.

.13. In a graphophone, a rotary support or table, record holders each provided with an adjustable sound-arm guide, and an'adjustable contact, a sound arm movable into and out of operating relation to records in said holders, means for moving said reco ds in series onto and'ofi' of said support or tab e, A a magnet for controlling the said movement of the sound arm, an energizing circuit for said" magnet including said sound arm. and

contact, and means for raising and lowering said sound arm.

14 In a graphophone, a rotary support or table, record holders each provided with an adjustable sound-arm guide, and an adjusta'ble contact, a sound arm movable into and out of operating relation to records insaid holders, means for moving said records 5 in series onto and off of said support or table, a magnet for controlling the said movement of the sound arm, an energizing circuit for said magnet including said sound arm and contact, and means for raising and lowering said sound arm, said raising and lowering means being subject to the control of said. magnet.

1-5. In a graphophone, a record carrying table, a sound arm, record holders each provided with an adjustable sound arm guide,

means for moving said sound arm over the 7 ing.v relation to the records in said recordholder's, means for moving the sound arm over the record, means for dropping the soundarm-into engagement with the sound arm guide whereby the needle isguided to the initial groove of the record and placed therein, and means operative when the-soundarm engages the contact for lifting and moving said sound arm to one side'of the record holder.

- 17. A holder for graphophone records adapted to be placed on the table or movablesupport of a graphophone, said record holder being provided with an adjustable guide ivotally mounted at the outer edge of said holdeifland capable of being adjusted above the record in the holder so that the free end thereof will be directly over the initial grooveof the record. I

18. A holder for graphophone records adapted to be placed on the table or movable support of a graphophone, said holder being -provided with an adjustable guide pivotally mounted adjacent the periphery thereof and curved in a manner to gradually guide a needle to the initial groove of a record.

19. In a graphophone, a record carrying table, a record holder, means for'moving said record holder into and out of playing position on the recordcarrying table, a sound arm, means for moving said sound arm into and out of playing position, a contact carried by" said record holder, and means subject to the control of said sound arm and.

contact for controlling the operation of the graphophone. 3

20. In a graphophone, a record-carrying table, a record holder, a' sound arm, and means controlledby the record holder for 4 moving the sound arm out of playing position after the playing period.

21. In a graphophone, ea rotary record support or table, a plurality of record holders each provided with an adjustable sound arm guide, and an adjustable contact member, a

sound arm movable into and out of playing relation to the records in said holders,,means.

for moving said records onto and oil of said .table,and means for controlling the movement of the sound arm when the sound arin engages the contact member.

22. A holder for graphophone records proable means for guiding a needle to the initial groove of a record, and adjustable means vided with record centering means, ad ustadjacentthe axis of said record hold r for arresting the playing action of a need e. .23. A holder ;Eor graphophone records adapted to be placed on the table or mov able support of a graphophone, said holder being'provided with adjustable means for guiding the needle to the initial groove-of a record, and, an adjustable contact capable of arresting the playing action of'the needle at the terminating groove of the record.

'24. In a graphophone,-.a rotary support or table, record holders each provided with an adjustable sound arm guide, an adjust-- able contact, a sound arm movableinto and.

out of operating relation to records in said holders, means for moving said records onto and ofi' of said support .or table, meansfor controllingthe movement'of the sound arm and means' including the sound arm and contact for raising .and lowering said sound 25. In a graphophone, a record carrying table, means for holding records in vertical position, means for placingthe records-in horizontal position on the table, a sound arm capable of be ng moved across and to one side of sald'record, mea'nsfor removing the records from horizontal position on the table to vertical position on suitable supports and means for automatically tim- 111g said record handling means and sound arm to per-form the operations in the manner herein descr1bed.

position, grippers adaptedto convey the records to horizontal position on the record carrying table, a sound arm capable of being moved across and to one side of said record, grippers for removing the records from horizontal position on the table to vertical position on suitable supports, and means for automatically timing said record handling means and sound arm to perform the operations in the sequential manner herein described. I

27.]In a graphophone, a record carrying table, means for rotating the same, means for holding records in vertical position, means for placing the records in horizontal position on the table, a sound arm, means for moving said sound arm into playing position over the record, means for removing the records from horizontal positionon the table to vertical position on suitable supports, and means for placing the sound arm Without the path of the records and stopping the' rotating record table during the removal of the records from the table. I

28. In a graphophone, a record carrying igeaoso table, means for holding records in vertical position, means for placing the records in horizontal position on the table, a sound arm, means for moving said sound arm into playing position over the record, means for 29. In a graphophone a record carrying table, a sound arm, a record holder provided with an adjustable sound arm guide, means for moving said sound arm over the record in the record holder, and means for giving said sound arm a two step lowering movement, first into engagement with the sound arm guide and then into the initial groove of the record.

30. In a graphophone, a'record carrying table, a plurality of record holders sup.- ported in position adjacent said table, grippers adapted to convey the record holders from their support to the table, means op: eratedby the grippers for advancing the record holders on their support to position 6 to be successively engaged by said grippers, and means controlled by said advancing means for sto'ppingthe playing action of the graphophone after the last record has been played. I EDWARD' ROGERS, 

